Shadow's Dance
by Out of Context
Summary: Her heart broken, and with her only love having abandoned her, she devises her own plan to ensure her bastard son's future, a future her lover couldn't provide, despite his last fruitless attempt
1. Prologue

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Prologue  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
There he lay, stiff as a board, fingers laced behind his head, watching as the shadows danced across the ceiling, their flowing movements accentuated by the soft glow of moonlight filtering in through the window. Outside a lone tree tapped out its solemn beat against the window pane as the wind hummed its haunting melody through the forest beyond the small clearing. Blades of grass whistled and waved in the cool, slow summer night's breeze, slipping through a small crack in the wall and adding a chill to the still room.  
  
The wind slid across the boy's face, yet his unmoving features stayed the same, giving no recognition to the air. Seemingly emotionless, he continued to lie there, yet the pain dancing behind his eyes was obvious if one looked. Not a noise was heard. The onyx pools shimmered in agony, a crystalline tear glided down his cheek, reaching his chin and dropping off the steep angle to crash and shatter on his solid chest. More gathered in his eyes, but he refused to let the sign of weakness show. Instead they stayed there, pooling on his cheeks, only to dry up, never to fall.  
  
Slowly he rose, slipping out the open window into the cool night air. The last tear finally drying up in the whipping wind that tossed his wild, black hair about his face. The bright stars winked at him as he made his way into the city, flying above the tall skyscrapers that kissed the sky and over the blinking lights of signs and cars alike. He flew on, oblivious to it all, his one goal dominating all his thoughts, while his darkened eyes displayed no feeling.  
  
There it was. The angel of his dreams. She stood, sapphire eyes locked on something in the distance as the wind played with her hair and her white night gown nipped at her ankles, flowing behind her. The moonlight pooled around her, giving her a surreal aura. His breath caught in his throat at her beauty, but his face remained perfectly stiff.  
  
Landing quietly in front of her, she gasped and looked surprised to say the least, but the boy just leaned down to the girl's face and kissed her once, his lips lightly brushing hers. Straightening back up, he led the girl slowly to her bed and sat her down. Pushing her to where she was laying down on her back, he looked at her questioningly. With a nod of her head she gave him the permission he sought.  
  
To her, it was beautiful, and she lost her childhood that night to the one man she had always loved, the happy-go-lucky boy she thought had never cared for her in the way she loved him.  
  
Exhausted, she lay back down on her pillow, peacefully drifting off to sleep with her one true love lying beside her. Sighing contentedly, the last thing she heard was a quiet mumble.  
  
"I love you" he said and with that, her eyes slid shut.  
  
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the blue-haired beauty asleep beside him, dreaming impossible things as a smile played at her lips. She was utterly beautiful, angelic almost, except for the evil streak that ran in her family from her father's side. Taking a deep breath, he climbed out of the bed, and stealing one last glance at her, flew off into the still and silent night.  
  
A lone cricket played the last note of the night's bittersweet symphony as the sun stretched its dawning smile across the sky, each of its warming rays touching everything within site, including the sleeping girl. Unconsciously she rolled to the other side of the bed where the sun had warmed the sheets. Then realization hit her, and opening her eyes, she searched the room for the boy that should have been there beside her, but wasn't. Breaking into silent tears, the dry sobs wracked her body, shaking it back in forth as she climbed back under the covers, trying to drown out the ever-present sunshine and overenthusiastic world below her.  
  
He was gone. He was gone for good, and he took all her dreams with him, shattering them as he took to the sky and left her behind without a word.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	2. Chapter One

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 1  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
This starts five years later so now Bra is 24, Pan 25, Marron 34, Goten 38 and Trunks is 39.  
  
=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=  
  
After receiving a kind of cryptic phone call from Pan, who, at the age of twenty-five, was still living with her parents, much like Bra herself, she had quickly grabbed a white, long sleeve shirt and slipped on her favorite pair of dark blue cargo pants, and set out the door, taking off into the vast blue sky, totally oblivious of the fact that she had forgotten her shoes and that her hair was still a mess from the party the night before.  
  
She had no idea as to what Pan had meant when she said, "What you thought was lost is now found, showing up all on its own!" Bra could almost feel the excitement coming from her friend though, and that was enough to get her going. So here she was, flying at top speed to Pan's house to discover what had Pan bouncing off the walls.  
  
'It had better be good' Bra thought. 'I remember last time Pan drug me out was just so she could tell me she discovered a new fighting technique... not that I don't like her or anything, but that just pisses me off that she is so into this fighting thing. Just not my idea of fun.'  
  
Gazing down at the forest below her, she realized she was almost at Pan's house and began slowing her pace, touching down at the front door only to have it opened immediately by Gohan, his face disguised with an almost pained mask.  
  
'If Gohan is upset, then why was Pan so happy?' Bra thought to herself, but had no time to ponder it as Pan herself came bounding down the stairs and grasped Bra's arm, pulling her up the stairs behind her.  
  
"Pa-an!" Bra half-whined. "What's up? Why are you so hyper? You do know it is kind of creepy, right?"  
  
Pan just looked at Bra as if she was stupid, sighed in exasperation, and then sat on her bed Indian style, patting the spot beside her, indicating that Bra should sit down too.  
  
"I." Pan started.  
  
Bra leaned in a little closer in anticipation. Taking a deep breath, she continued.  
  
"Can't tell you! Haha!" Pan yelled as she leapt off the bed and ran downstairs, disappearing into living room that was encased in shadows.  
  
Realizing what her friend said, Bra jumped off the bed, a little bit irritated and chased after her friend, following closely behind her down the stairs only to have her friend literally disappear when she entered the living room right after her.  
  
Slowly, placing one foot in front of the other so as not to run into a table or anything and scrape up her porcelain legs, Bra continued further into the darkened room. She glanced to the left and to the right, hoping she could catch a glimpse of something, anything.  
  
Then it hit her. 'Why the fuck is this room so dark anyways? It's normally the brightest in the house...'  
  
She didn't have long to figure it out before she tripped over her own feet, of all things, and fell. As the floor loomed in front of her, Bra suddenly realized she wasn't falling anymore. She had stopped.  
  
Now she felt the masculine arms encircling her waist, holding her up. Following the muscular, almost tense, arms up, she beheld a very fit torso, with each muscle in perfect proportion to the body they encased. Blushing a bit at the fact that she was staring, Bra continued to scan the boy's body, finding the tanned thing a bit familiar, yet oddly unknown to her. Finally, looking up at his face, she gasped in shock and promptly fainted, going limp in the boy's arms.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Bra's eyes fluttered open a few hours later, only to gaze upon a crowded room. She was lying, covered by a fleece blanket, on the couch in Gohan's living room, with her family and the entire Son family surrounding her.  
  
Bulma sat on the coffee table in front of her, peering down at her with a worried expression. Gohan and Videl stood a little off to the side and Trunks and Pan sat on the floor playing a game of BS. Goku was snacking on a 12-inch submarine sandwich and ChiChi sat beside him in an armchair. Vegeta was alone in the shadows with a taller man beside him. The taller man was cloaked in shadows, masking all of his features except his wild black hair and a faint sheen from the glow of the lights off to the side.  
  
Bra squinted her eyes to try and focus on the man and figure out who he was, but she couldn't get a good look at him before Bulma started fussing over 'her baby.'  
  
"Mom..." Bra started only to be cut off by Bulma breaking into tears and Vegeta looking thoroughly disgusted with his wife's antics.  
  
"Mom...." Bra was cut off again by Bulma jumping up to hug her and hold her daughter close, still crying a bit.  
  
"MOM!" This time Bra yelled it, hoping to get her attention. Everyone in the room jumped except Vegeta and the man in the shadows beside him. Even Goku was startled from his sandwich, if only for a second, before he resumed eating. "I'm fine. Seriously. I just had an intense feeling of deja vu. It's nothing to worry about. Now, how did I get on the couch?"  
  
"Bra! I'm so glad you're okay!" Bulma sniffled some. "I was just so worried- "  
  
"Yeah, Mom, I got that. Now how did I get here? The last thing I remember was almost hitting that table you're sitting on."  
  
"Oh...that. Yes, umm, see, it's like this. You remember a long time ago, right? Like five years ago? You remember who left then, right? Well, to put a long story short, he's back."  
  
"He WHAT?!" Bra screeched again, but this time in shock.  
  
"I told you she'd overreact. You owe me twenty bucks Trunks..." Pan could be heard from her spot on the floor as she leaned over and whispered, not so quietly, to Trunks. He looked a little upset as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, counting out twenty dollars and handing it over to Pan as she gloated about her victory.  
  
But Pan was silenced with a death glare from Bra, an almost perfect replica of her father's that it gave Pan a chill down her spine. Pan shut her mouth and was utterly still as Bra continued with her outburst.  
  
"Well, where is he? I want to thank him for 'rescuing' me and then I want to kick him in the balls for leaving me." Bra claimed with a vengeance. Vegeta also gave the young boy beside him a death glare, and receiving no reaction from him, turned his attention back to his daughter.  
  
At that moment, out of the shadows, stepped the man beside Vegeta. He was around six feet tall, with the same wild black hair as his father. A tan resided on his skin, giving him an unearthly glow under the scrutinizing lights in the room. His muscles were even more defined than she last remembered. There was a difference though.  
  
Years ago, the last time she saw him was the first time she detected a trace of it. His youth, his childlike innocence was gone. It was replaced with a dull, haunted look in his shimmering black eyes. Those eyes that used to be so open, so care free, so happy weren't so anymore. They were closed. Shut off from the world. The windows to his soul were shut for good. She could tell by the utterly emotionless expression plastered to his face as he stepped into the light. The man she had once loved was gone, not only in presence, but in everything else too.  
  
"Oh my god..." was all Bra could say. Speechless didn't even begin to describe her condition. There he was, and after he had hurt her when he left five years ago, she couldn't do anything but break down and cry. The tears dripped down her chin to splatter on the floor. Her body shook in silent sobs once again and he just stood there, watching her cry, watching each tear fall, never making any move to go and comfort her.  
  
Of all things, it hurt the most that he could just sit there, watching her world fall apart once again, and stay unfeeling. He didn't even blink. Her mom sat silent beside her. Vegeta stood in the shadows in his usual stance. Gohan squeezed Videl a little bit tighter in his grasp. Pan leaned on Trunks shoulder, watching her friend and her uncle. Trunks unconsciously wrapped his arms around Pan's shoulders and Gohan didn't even give him a warning glare. Goku stopped eating and held his for-once silent wife in his arms, pulling her into his lap. No one made a move beyond that.  
  
Then Bra stood up, wiping each blackened tear from her eye, sniffled one last time, and pasting her own mask on her face, smiled a plastic smile at Goten.  
  
"Thank you for helping me earlier. I appreciate it. Now, if you all don't mind, I'm going to go home. I have things to take care of." With that, Bra got up and straightened out her shirt and opened the door to leave. Glancing one last time back at Goten and the almost statue-like people in the room, she left.  
  
Taking to the now stormy sky, she had one last thought before she shut the whole reunion from her mind.  
  
'He doesn't know...'  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--= 


	3. Chapter Two

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 2  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
'He doesn't know... he doesn't know....' Bra kept repeating to herself. Absently, she scratched at her neck, scraping off the scab that had formed there, causing it to dribble a small flow of blood.  
  
The blood dripped down her neck, staining a small circle onto the white shirt, staining the ends of her hair. The blue mixed in with the dark red blood, soaking into each lock.  
  
Another tear escaped the prison of her eyes only to be whisked away by the wind whipping by on her fast flight home.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Finally, she arrived home and, touching down gently outside the balcony window, she went into her room. This time all the tears were dry, and she shut herself off from everyone, for good. With a stony face she made her way to the large bathroom located in her room.  
  
In the far corner of the room, under the wide windows, which normally filtered in a vast amount of sunlight, but today were gloomy with the dark weather, was the enormous inset jet-tub, the focal point. Everything was tinted a slight, baby-like pink. Ivy grew around the marble hole in the ground, and was riddled with tiny pale blue flowers.  
  
The other corner had a shower, set into the wall, the glass door rimmed with gold. In the glass was an intricate design, and one had to know what it was. At the middle was a twisted vine, studded with thorns, wrapped tightly around the royal Saiya-jin crest.  
  
Bra walked over and slipped into the already steamy water filling her tub. Breathing deeply, she slid farther down into the water and let the steam hit her face at full blast. She took the lavender scented body wash and squeezed some of it onto her loofah and began scrubbing down her body. When she was done, she hung the poof on the faucet and laid back, relaxing in the scalding water.  
  
Slowly, the warm water and relaxing aroma left over from the body wash lulled her into a sort of semi-conscious state. As her body started to unwind so did her mind, allowing all the harrowing and torturous happenings of the day to flee and giving her a sort of peace. And so, the bedraggled beauty was able to soon fall asleep and slip into the world of dreams, never realizing what awaited her there.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	4. Chapter Three

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 3  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Alone for a while, she'd been searching and stumbling through the dark, tripping over the juts in the tile floor below her. What she was looking for, she didn't know, except that she knew it was up ahead, always ahead. It seemed that the further she went forward, the further she was from her goal, but she kept on walking down the endless hallway.  
  
With each step she took, her shoes made a resonant clicking sound that echoed forever down the long corridor into oblivion and beyond. Behind her a faint slip-slop sound could be heard, like what you would imagine a slimy frog would make as he hopped down a hallway. But it wasn't a frog. That much she knew. It had a rank odor that permeated the hall, spreading its foul wings and sweeping its smell through her and all around her, surrounding her in its dark clutches.  
  
Every time she tried to glance behind her to catch a glimpse of the thing that clogged up her senses, she would lose balance and the world would twist and turn around her, swirling the hall together and placing her back on her feet, continuing her journey ahead. The corridor didn't want her to know what was behind her, and that's what scared her the most. It knew what it was, and yet the evil thing wouldn't let her see what was stalking her in the dark of the night.  
  
And even more confusing, when Bra looked at herself, she was all decked out, like she was about to go to Cinderella's ball. She had on dried-blood red stilettos with what looked like rubies decorating the thin straps that held them on to her feet. The only problem was that those rubies didn't gleam; they reflected no light, showing off a matte look. It was as if they ate the light. And her dress looked as if it was once white and pure, but no longer. It was the color of age old blood, almost as if the dress itself had once been covered in blood, but is now so ancient so as to have been dried into the fabric. And in her hair was a veil, much like one that would be worn by a bride. But no bride would ever wear this veil down the isle; for, upon its white lace were blackened spots and other foul colors.  
  
Try as she might, Bra could not figure out the portent of this nightmare. The nameless terror stalking her and the vivid, yet horrifying, outfit she wore meant nothing to her conscious thoughts.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	5. Chapter Four

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 4  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
While Bra was in the land of dreams, Goten sat in her room thinking. He knew that she was in the bathroom, but did not know she was asleep. He lay there across her bed, silent and unmoving like a living rock. His chest barely moved with each breath and his eyes showed no life, no innocence. The legacy of his father would not live in him; he would never be a simple carefree soul with a love of life and of fighting. His black hair was as messy as ever and spewed above him across the pillow, making the pillow appear black and silky instead of the normal pink cotton it was.  
  
As he lay there, off in his semi-conscious state, he thought of the girl he once loved. He had craved her love since she had first turned sixteen, even though he was so much older, and watching as she brought home boyfriend after worthless boyfriend when she deserved much better, it was all he could do not to confess to her then and there. But she could never see him like that, could never look at him as anything more than Trunk's best friend. Until one night when the depression set in and he was flying through the night sky trying to find surcease and he saw her. That night his dreams came true. She loved him as much as he once loved her, and everything was perfect. But upon waking and looking at his love, he realized he could not put her through the future he envisioned himself partaking of.  
  
No woman would be content living with a man constantly beset by depression. Living day by day with no real future awaiting was not the life Bra deserved. He was just like every other man she had dated, worthless.  
  
And as he mused upon the past, Goten felt something different, something out of place. The life-force in the bathroom was slowly fading away, as if a gigantic vacuum cleaner was sucking up all the energy and cleaning up lives off the floor like dirt. Bra was dying and he could not figure out why. There was no other energy within the Capsule Corp's compound at the moment and none besides himself within a fifty mile radius, except Bulma, who was most likely fiddling with one of her toys down in the lab. What could be killing Bra that had somehow passed him by and was doing so without her protest?  
  
Like a bolt of lighting, he placed two fingers to his forehead and was instantly beside the tub inside Bra's bathroom. Quickly glancing to the side, he spotted her and bent down, gently picking the floundering girl out of the ever rising water. With his foot, he pushed the lever and turned off the water and then he walked out the door, still holding the girl in his arms, bride-style.  
  
Finally making it to her bedside, he lay the blue-haired beauty down on her pillow and, taking one last glance at her, covered her up with her blanket. Then, as quickly as he had come to her rescue, he turned on his heel and left the room, almost as if nothing interesting happened. However, he didn't head out the door or to the kitchen. Goten kept on, walking past the front door and past the extensive kitchen at a leisurely pace, belying his intent, he slowly made his way to Bulma's personal lab and the medical bay in the basements of Capsule Corp. Prying open the giant metal doors, his tan body strolled right over to Bulma.  
  
She seemed oblivious to the world around her as she tinkered on her latest toy. Oil was smeared across one cheek and she was covered in it almost everywhere else. It always fascinated Goten how she could just lock herself away for a few days and then come out with the greatest of things, however, now was not the time to marvel at the blue-haired genius.  
  
Coughing once to gain her attention so he wouldn't startle her, he began walking over to her side, to gain a peek at her invention and to talk to her.  
  
"Bulma-san" he started. "Bra is fainted in her room and I think--"  
  
He never got to finish before Bulma was out of the room and streaking up the stairs to her only daughter's room. 'They always were overprotective of her' he thought but followed quickly behind Bulma, after all, with his Saiya-jin genes, Bulma's "run" was equal to his "walk." Finally arriving in the room beside his mother's friend, he continued where he was cut off.  
  
"Bra was in her bathroom, when she fell asleep and then she began to drown and I rescued her. That was it. "Blandly stated, the young man then bent down beside his bonded mate, taking her pale hand in his large one, rubbing his calloused thumb over the back of her hand, making slow and deliberate circles. Standing back up, he turned on his heel, taking one last glance back at the mother-daughter pair, and with that, he left the girl's room.  
  
It seemed leaving her was something he did a lot lately. Leaving was something he did a lot lately.  
  
Wandering from his train of thought, Goten stopped to talk with Trunks, his once best friend. It's not that they hated each other, except Trunks did give him some pretty harsh glares during the 'reunion' earlier that day; however, they had been really close before Goten had left.  
  
"Hey" he said, almost shyly, as if he was unsure of himself.  
  
"Oh my gosh man..." Trunks started.  
  
'Well,' Goten thought to himself, 'he hasn't lost that, how do I put it, that certain femininity he inherited from his mom. I wonder if...' At that thought, an evil grin appeared upon Goten's face.  
  
Goten just shook his head again, and smiled somewhat innocently, yet he couldn't achieve the full affect of that. He never would be able to again. The innocence was lost to him forever.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	6. Chapter Five

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 5  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Soaring straight ahead, he headed off toward Kami's lookout to speak with Dende.  
  
After dodging some of Bulma's latest capsule planes and the people in them, he finally arrived and set down gracefully on the white tiled floor, his shoes making no sound as he then walked to Dende who was patiently waiting for him over by Mr. Popo's garden. Dende had a determined aura around him, as if he knew something and was out to get it accomplished.  
  
Cocking one well-defined eyebrow at the normally carefree god's behavior, he took long strides over to him, hurrying to get it over with.  
  
"I see you got my message" Dende began.  
  
"It's kind of hard not to, after all, you planted it in my head."  
  
"Ah well, details, details. Anyway, I did have a point to our meeting. So, if you will come with me..." And with that, Dende shot off the edge of the lookout and out across the expanse of the sky, heading west into the setting sun. Goten took off shortly after, awarding the little green man one last look of wonderment.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
With the sun low in the horizon, floating gently above the placid ocean waters, and a lone gull crying above an island to the right, Dende and Goten continued on into the night and kept going even after the sun was put to rest and the moon came out to dance in the sky among the flirtatious stars in all their shimmering glory. Each star winked its magical eye as Goten flew beneath them, his suppressed curiosity bubbling up inside of him, threatening to spill over.  
  
'Damn it. Where the hell are we going? We've been flying for' at that, Goten looked at the watch strapped to his wrist, ' five hours!!'  
  
As if sensing Goten's impatience, Dende said "We're almost there. Just a bit farther and we'll land."  
  
True to his word, they flew a couple hundred more yards and dropped down in the lush undergrowth with Goten hurrying because Dende had already started off into the jungle of branches and flowers that make up a rainforest and he was quickly losing sight of his green guide that blended into the trees surrounding him.  
  
Smacking at another wasp and ducking the deadly path of another branch, Goten and Dende finally arrived at their destination. There, in front of him, was a cliff, thousands of feet high, the top of which was hidden in the clouds above. In the cliff face there was an insignia of an ancient race that used to crawl this planet in the beginning, and Dende traced his young hands over the contours of the shape, igniting a blue light which shone through the carved pattern, the aura of which lit up the harsh contours of Goten's face.  
  
Suddenly, part of the cliff moved away, leaving a dark tunnel going deep into the solid rock. Goten kept his face a mask of indifference as he followed his God into the hollow stone, walking along a well worn pathway, not giving an ounce of thought as to what lie ahead.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
In fact, his mind was far, far away at that point in time, and he walked, unaware as to the change in his surroundings, or the fact that he was no longer following Dende, for the little green god had disappeared, and Goten was just wandering aimlessly without the guide.  
  
He also didn't notice that he actually was not on his own, but on all sides a lively market town teemed in the early morning air, the dew on all of their fresh produce.  
  
A little girl with ebony hair dashed across the busy cobbled street, chasing a rolling orange as if it were a ball to where it stopped, right in front of Goten's feet.  
  
Absentmindedly, he bent down and picked up the fruit, gently offering it back to the little girl, who promptly grabbed the citrus and ran along her way after shyly thanking the man.  
  
Goten just continued walking, oblivious to the new world around him.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	7. Chapter Six

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 6  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Glancing up, after clumsily bumping into a young girl in a gray cape and hood, obscuring her features, Goten stuck out a hand to help her up, still half out of it. The girl, refused his hand, and grumbling something about incompetent peasants, moved along her way. He could just stare after her, his gaze locked onto her swaying hips as she disappeared into the throng of people in the busy market street.  
  
That's when he realized it. Shaking his head once or twice, in an effort to see if it was true, that he was in this little village with cobblestone walkways and thatched roofed houses, full of women in long skirts and aprons and men in tunics and tights. He blinked slowly, still trying to lose this image and get back to where he knew he belonged, that cave with Dende.  
  
Seconds later, it hit him, Dende was no where to be found. In fact, the Namek-jin god's ki signature wasn't present either. Goten was, although he hated to admit it, thoroughly lost and alone in this new atmosphere.  
  
He stuck his hands in his pockets, and to his surprise, heard the clink of gold against gold. Pulling his hands back out, he unclasped them, whereupon he discovered a handful of gold coins.  
  
Brow creased, he looked up and looked around once again. Spotting a sign designating an inn in which he could stay for the night, relatively cheaply, next to a tavern, and also noting that the sun was sinking rather low in the sky, Goten walked in the swinging doors.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Wiping his already aging brow, Dende sighed.  
  
"That was easier than I thought Mr. Popo" he stated to his assistant, the funny dark-skinned man who had acquired the position as the Earth's guardian's hired-help, so to speak, so long ago that even the round little man forgot who he first worked for. He had been with the guardians for ages, and by the looks of it, wasn't getting along in his years at all. However, the same could not be said for the Namek-jin god. He would last a few hundred years or so, just like his predecessor, Kami, but he already had a good 100 years under his belt, besides the fact he didn't look it. Namek-jins aged slowly.  
  
"Yes sir, it was, was it not?"  
  
"Indeed. Now, for our next order of business..." At that, Dende and Mr. Popo went into the deep libraries of Kami's Lookout to seek out the information they required to complete their activities.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Upon walking through the swinging doors, Goten walked over to the receptionist's desk.  
  
Everything in this village seemed so old fashioned, so out of date, like something out of one of those fantasy stories with Princes and Princesses and Knights and Dragons. The town, the people, the market, the, well, everything.  
  
Laying a gold coin down on the wooden counter, he asked for a room, and after receiving a key, shoved the small brass item in his back pocket. Turning to the woman, he noticed something odd about her, although for the moment he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Umm, excuse me miss, but do you know of a good place for me to eat in town? I've never been here before" '--Not to mention ever even seen a place like this' he added in his head.  
  
"Cer'nly, sire. If ye would just walk to the tavern beside this old inn, 'tis mighty good eatin'. I'm sure it'd fit yer tastes jus' fine and 'tis mighty cheap too sire."  
  
"Err... thanks. I'm sure." Goten mumbled as he made his way back out and to the tavern he had indeed noted before, not before giving one last awkward glance to the blonde receptionist. It never registered in his mind that in the far corner, set in the shadows, sat another figure, which watched every awkward move he made, arms crossed firmly over her chest, the cape still hiding her figure.  
  
Pushing off the wall, she followed the young man who was so different from anything she had ever seen before, not only in dress, but in action as well.  
  
She was always behind him, yet never seen, as he made his way into the tavern and ordered his meal of cornbread and slice of ham along with a strong ale.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Meanwhile, Bra had awoken from her state of unconsciousness only to hear of the departing of her "beloved."  
  
'That boy pisses me off beyond belief. He has no idea what he has done, how he has ruined my life, and it seems as if he has no desire to know either" she thought with a vengeance on her way down the hall to the new addition to the Briefs' home.  
  
A tiny room, bathed in sunlight, making the pale blue walls glow along with a set of onyx eyes inside which peered up at her as she bent down to pick the creature up, it's chubby arms latching hold of her slender porcelain ones, this was her destination. Affectionately rubbing its head, sending her tiny fingers through its wild hair, causing a small giggle to spout out of its ever-smiling mouth, making the curls upon its head bounce with life and its tender cheeks to shine with youthful joy.  
  
The cheerful child caused her own eyes to sparkle, half in jovial glee, half in sorrowful depression, the unshed tears burning behind her eyes, only to spill over seconds later, crashing down upon the dark ringlets resting on top of the child's head, taking a stream of mascara along with it.  
  
And then, she just collapsed. A depressed heap upon the floor, pearls dropping from her eyes, an abundance of the precious jewels, the likes of which the world has never known and only a few have ever truly witnessed: the tears shed by the heart, by a heart broken beyond repair.  
  
The little boy, with a velvet hand, gently tugged upon the blue-haired beauty's sleeve, asking in a tiny voice laced with curiosity and concern beyond his 4 years and 3 months of age, begging of the young woman for an answer as to her problems and an explanation to her heart-wrenching sobs.  
  
"What's wrong?" he pleaded, and upon receiving no answer, promptly asked again, the worry filling his endlessly deep, yet so innocent eyes, so like another's that had meant so much to her before.  
  
"What's matter Mommy?"  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	8. Chapter Seven

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 7  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten ate his meal in silence, ignoring the weird stares he acquired from other occupants within the tavern, and as he finished, he left one of his gold coins upon the table and left to retire to his quarters in the inn.  
  
His "stalker" stayed behind, choosing to buy herself a drink rather than follow her new fascination.  
  
Unlocking the door, he showered quickly and climbed in bed, seeing no need to change out of his clothes because he had no pajamas to sleep in.  
  
He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance, just like he did in his own bed five years ago. He wondered if his travels had made him a different man. They changed him, indeed. He was quieter, with a stonier outside, but was he different inside? Wasn't he still just that lost boy searching for some peace in the turmoil of life?  
  
And what of Bra?  
  
He knew he had marked her, taken her as his, and that from that one passion- filled night before he abandoned her, she had lost all of her innocence, and he was the thief who stole it away.  
  
That in itself made him feel guilty. When he marked her, he made it impossible for her to be with anyone else. A selfish decision indeed.  
  
Had he thought about it before he consummated their bond, he would have stopped. But who thinks in the heat of the moment?  
  
Certainly not him.  
  
Tossing and turning, he was left to a restless night's sleep, haunted by nightmares. He'd wake up with a start, sweat pouring down his brow, only to slip back into his tortured slumber.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
The next morning, not feeling the least bit refreshed, Goten decided to explore this new land he had stumbled across.  
  
So, after washing up using the wash basin provided in the corner of the room, he set out on his mission: to learn about his surroundings and hopefully figure out where he was so he could get back home.  
  
Five years away and then to only disappear yet again? Even he didn't want to depart so soon.  
  
"Hello sire" the same golden-locked receptionist greeted him as he made his leave.  
  
'Alright' he began to formulate a plan inside of his head. 'What to do first...?'  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Bra arose from her spot on the floor, where she had lain crumpled in wracking sobs for a while now, and lifted the young boy up. He had long since fallen asleep, his childish exhaustion overwhelming his natural curiosity.  
  
Gently wiping a stray curl from his angelic face, the dark hair contrasting so greatly with his pale skin, she placed a light kiss upon his brow.  
  
"You're my hope, did you know that Jouen? When I found out I was pregnant with you, it made his absence that much easier to bear. You're my light, my redemption. Without you, where would I be now?" Bra whispered in soothing tones to the slumbering boy.  
  
Jouen's only response was to slowly place his thumb into his small mouth and curl up closer to the warmth which his mother's body provided him. A tiny smile tugged at his lips as he continued on in his dream world, oblivious to all that surrounded him.  
  
Bra set her parcel down into his lavishly decorated crib.  
  
Nothing was spared for this child. He was, after all, Bulma's first grandchild.  
  
Brushing her rosy lips one last time across the peaceful face of her toddling baby boy, she left the room.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten still stood in the middle of the busy street. These new surroundings had made him lose his bearings and forced the uncaring demeanor from his form. It had left him utterly and completely lost.  
  
One could almost see his confusion surfacing on his features. And one person did, causing a tainted smile to creep upon her face. It was working.  
  
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as he continued to stare out across the intersection he had recently arrived at. Glancing left and right, he shook his head in hopelessness.  
  
'This will be the end of me. Where the hell am I?!'  
  
Suddenly a girl walked up to him, and latching herself onto his arm, guided him gently over to a cart filled with all kinds of delicate intricacies, from rare gems weaved into a fascination pattern of gold coils, to be worn around the upper arm to other jewels and fine metals.  
  
However, it was not the expensive jewelry which caught Goten's eye. Instead, it was the exquisite beauty which he beheld.  
  
Starting with her deep red hair, which seemed to shine an exotic fiery tint when she stood within the light, to her startling blue eyes, he followed her tempting curves and scantily clad body down to the impatient tapping of her foot.  
  
Looking back up, he was surprised to see a smirk plastered upon her face.  
  
"Would you like something?" She asked in a sultry tone, moving her hips ever so slightly as she placed her hands upon them in a defiant manner.  
  
"I should ask you the same" Goten coldly replied. "After all, it was you, was it not, that had the audacity to drag me over here?"  
  
"Ugh! Men these days... they don't know how to recognize a great body when they see one..." She muttered under her breath.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, he had heard every word.  
  
He walked up to her, and grasping her body, he pulled her close to him, trailing kisses from the base of her neck to the bottom of her earlobe, whereupon he stopped. Whispering with venom in his voice he quickly retorted.  
  
"I have seen much better in my time. Your body is no great prize to me. Move along wench."  
  
The tramp had immediately caused him to replace his icy mask back upon his face.  
  
His carefree self was once again suppressed and this new Goten had once again gained control.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
After his little scene with that woman, Goten avoided all contact with anyone. If a vendor walked up to him, he would quickly swerve around the garrulous man. His eyes stayed focused upon his new goal: a young boy with a newspaper.  
  
Finally, after dodging only a few more of the persuasive salesmen, he arrived at the young man and, giving him a gold coin, took a newspaper.  
  
Taking a glance at the name, his eyes widened slightly.  
  
"Royaline Exhibitor-Vegeta-sei's Most Trusted Resource for the Latest News!" he read aloud to himself.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	9. Chapter Eight

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 8  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten dropped the paper like it was the plague and then preceded to walk off in a daze.  
  
'How the fuck could I get here? This planet doesn't even fucking exist... It's impossible, implausible, and downright inconceivable!' he ranted in his head, unaware to yet another Vegetasei citizen he was about to run into.  
  
And at that moment, they bumped heads, Goten falling upon the person into whom he crashed.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Dende leaned back in the frail wicker chair, sighing heavily, and dropped the latest stack of papers he was shifting through in his lap with a plop.  
  
'This "plan" of mine is getting too hard. Goten needs to find her and get it over with! I would get mad at him for dawdling, but he doesn't even know why I placed him in that alternate universe. And poor Bra... I always felt sorry for her, I don't know why. Maybe because she and Trunks are stuck in that turbulent household and boys are stronger than girls emotionally, so Trunks could fare better. And then for her to be literally abandoned, both physically and emotionally, by Goten. That girl needs someone to smile down on her from above...'  
  
The sweat rolled down the green god's leathery skin. Even in the dark recesses of Kami's Lookout, down in the lowest, dampest, dankest rooms, it was hot. The sun looked upon the world unrelentlessly, baking everything within its grasp, its minute rays reaching every nook and cranny.  
  
He sighed again, his breath labored from all the energy he had exerted in looking for that one vital piece of information. With it, maybe, just maybe, he could pull Goten out of that alternate universe and place him back into his rightful one yet still be able to teach him the very valuable lesson.  
  
'Too bad it's nowhere to be found...'  
  
And with that thought, Dende set back upon his search, continuing his quest.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"Scum! Get up and show more respect to The Heir!" A big, burly man proclaimed loudly, his tone softening to one of deep awe as he stated 'the heir.' "The crime you have just committed is punishable with death!!"  
  
Confused, Goten looked up to see a boy dressed simply yet elegantly.  
  
Clothed in dark slacks, along with a silk navy button up shirt of equal extravagance, he walked with an air of dignity, even for one so young. Raising his eyes higher, he spotted a small golden crown resting delicately upon the boy's soft ebony curls, contrasting greatly with the black locks. The boy could have been described with an almost gentle persona, except for the deep frown creasing his teenaged forehead.  
  
With a flick of his hand, the young heir dismissed his men, although the big, burly one left only after a few protests.  
  
The young boy was intrigued by this man before him. He reminded him of someone.  
  
"Do you not know how to properly address a future king, sire?" The boy asked with eloquence. He gestured to Goten, and made a bowing motion, while keeping eye contact, expecting Goten to mimic his actions, and Goten did.  
  
"Sorry, however I was not aware of a prince's presence until you just now made it clear" Goten began.  
  
"Oh. Were you not taught of the royal line in your educational studies? I should talk to Mother or Grandfather about that. Maybe Uncle will be able to fix it." The boy, only about fourteen, asked with curiosity.  
  
"There is no need to involve them in this. You see, I'm not exactly from around here...."  
  
"Everyone across the planet is educated in this" the boy stated in confidence.  
  
"By around here, I meant the planet. I'm from a planet called Chikyuu... Earth... and last I knew, this planet did not exist."  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Meanwhile, back in the right time, and on the right planet, Bra silently shut the door to Jouen's room.  
  
'The poor boy, no father, and no hope for one it seems. I wish against all wishes that I could provide him with that. Every child needs a father figure, one to look up to, no matter if he really isn't that great. Jouen does too. If only I could give him one.'  
  
Suddenly, something occurred to her, an idea flashing in the dark of her mind. Her eyes lit up, shining with a new hope.  
  
"I can give him something to make up for that, and I will." She spoke aloud to the quiet hallway, her voice set in resolution and her tone definite and sure.  
  
"I will..."  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	10. Chapter Nine

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 9  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"Vegeta-sei not in existence?" he questioned in an almost frightened tone. "Impossible."  
  
"On the contrary, your excellence, it's very possible. In fact, I do not believe I am in the same universe anymore. I think I time-traveled, without my knowledge of course, but I think I did." Goten tried to explain with the few facts he himself contained.  
  
"Oh... I see." The boy said. "In that case, for now, you can stay with me and my mother at the palace. I'm sure you'll receive all the correct accommodations there." He continued in a curt yet friendly tone.  
  
And with that, he turned, flourishing his cape, and walked quickly down the cobblestone street.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Bra walked hurriedly down the hall toward her mother's lab. She had her plan all set out in her mind in a kind of psychological blueprint. Her mother's and grandfather's genes had finally come through for her, and her family's genius was showing through in this.  
  
She opened the big metal doors to her mother's lab and walked right in, strolling straight across to her own section of the lab, which lay untouched since her mom had set it up for her in her younger years.  
  
Rubbing her hand across the steel table to sweep off the layers of dust which had accumulated there, she grabbed a large sheet of paper and began to draw, laying out each section that needed to be done for her plan to work.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Piles upon piles of crumpled paper lay in, on and surrounding the small waste basket next to the table where Bra had lain her head down in defeat after hours of working. A small puddle of drool pooled where it had dribbled out of her mouth when she had crashed and finally slipped off into sleep on the cold surface.  
  
Her soft blue hair rested wildly across her face, covering her delicate features and touching her feathery lashes with its soft aqua tendrils. Her previous nightmare plagued her once again.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Jouen crawled slowly over the edge of his luxurious crib and then dropped with a resounding plop to the carpeted floor.  
  
He stumbled down the hallway to the metal doors where he sensed his mother. A half Saiya-jin, thanks to his mother's and father's genes and then also thanks to Vegeta's obsession with training, the boy's abilities were already well passed advanced.  
  
With his childish innocence, he slipped through the giant metal doors of the lab's compound. Bra had carelessly left the doors open with just enough space for the tiny child to slide through.  
  
He saw his young mother sleeping gently on the table and watched with awe as her face contorted in so many twisted emotions.  
  
With some worry, he moved from his trance and made his way to his mother napping on the chair.  
  
He placed his chubby thumb in his mouth and tugged with his free hand on his mom's pant leg in an attempt to acquire her attention and to get rid of those faces she kept making that disturbed him so.  
  
Jerking awake, Bra peered down to see her tiny son looking up at her with real concern writ on his face.  
  
Smiling gently, she reached down to pick him up and then placed him on her lap.  
  
She pointed out the different sections she had planned out so far, showing and naming the advanced scientific pieces to her only son, not so much in an effort to make him understand what she was doing, but more so that she would have someone, anyone, to talk to about her plan.  
  
Only he and she would know when the plan finally moved into effect.  
  
Planting a kiss upon his porcelain forehead, she asked him, "How would you like to be king?"  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten followed behind the young heir quickly, mimicking, in an act of boredom, the steps of the boy in front of him, moving his feet at the same pace and in the same position as the heir. It was something Goten had done since childhood, usually copying his older brother, Gohan, in an attempt to be just like the crime-fighting superhero and hero of Goten's youth.  
  
Still unsure of the child's actual name, besides "The Heir" as the town had obviously dubbed him, his mind wandered onto what it could be. The boy looked very familiar to him, yet he couldn't place his identity at all. It was too vague of a feeling to be named.  
  
"What is this... Chikii... like?" The prince asked Goten unexpectedly, trying to fill the silence.  
  
"Chikyuu." Goten laughed. "Well, let's see... It's nothing like this planet. It's gorgeous, the most beautiful place I have ever seen; full of exotic, bright colors and then the soothing tones of nature. It's perfect." Goten replied with a glazed look covering his normally bright onyx eyes. "...just perfect..."  
  
The silence resumed as the future king mulled over the seeming utopia which his new guest had just described.  
  
'One day, I want to go there. I want to see it.' He thought to himself in resolution.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Dende lay snoring in the deep confines of Kami's lookout, the latest stack of papers resting on his lap in a messy, yet organized pile, totally unaware of the new presence entering his lair.  
  
The chunky, husky white creature padded quietly on the damp stone floor toward the young god. This Namek-jin was but a child compared to him.  
  
His stick tapped in a steady beat, its clicking pattern sounding in the silence of the dank cellar like room.  
  
He scratched his furry arm with an old, worn paw and looking in amazement at the dedication with which Dende served his job. It was amazing.  
  
'Too bad my assistant isn't as devoted..." He thought with a chuckle. The soft sound echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls, startling the intruder, but startling Dende more. The leathery green man awoke with a start, his eyes snapping open, and bounded out of his whicker chair, sending the papers flying as he sunk into an ancient fighting stance.  
  
The invader also sunk into a similar stance and stuck his walking stick out as a kind of defense and offense in one.  
  
Suddenly, they both broke out in laughter as Dende realized who the "intruder" was. He stretched and walked over to him, patting him on the back in greeting.  
  
"It's been a long time since I've seen you, old friend. How're things at the tower?"  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Dende gently guided Korin, his unexpected guest, over to the desk where his whicker chair rested, and then he gently guided the psychic cat into the soft, deep seated recliner next to his preferred chair, which upon he sat.  
  
"So, by the looks of it, I'm guessing you still haven't found its location?" Korin requested, immediately getting to the point of his visit.  
  
"Huh? What? How'd you--" Dende stumbled, only to have Korin respond with a lone finger tapping his forehead, reminding Dende of his psychic powers. "Oh... I knew that." he replied guiltily. "But yes, as you see, I haven't had any luck with my search. That stone is nowhere to be found! I've tried everything and I've looked everywhere, but still I've come up fruitless."  
  
At that moment, Mr. Popo came down into the room with a tray of tea and crumpets for Dende's midday meal.  
  
"Good afternoon, sir, I didn't realize you had company. I'll be right back with some more refreshments." Mr. Popo said as he turned on his heal and headed back up the stairs. Korin just stared after the succulent looking snack.  
  
"Do you have any suggestions?" Dende asked, drawing the cat's attention back to the matter at hand.  
  
"Ah, yes. That's why I came down to talk to you today--"  
  
"I thought it rather strange since you haven't visited me at the lookout in so long. Is the tower doing as well as ever?"  
  
"Yes, but that's beside the point. As I was saying, I came down to talk to you today about the stone and its location. It seems that it has taken a trip with Goten, into the future, not an alternate universe, to which you sent him."  
  
"The future? Is that really what it was? How?" Shocked, the green god blurted out.  
  
"As of yet, I'm unsure of how it came to be the future, but we can't worry about that now. We need to figure out how to find the stone and get it back so we can open the Amai Safe-Hold."  
  
"...the Amai Safe-Hold... Are you sure it really even exists? I haven't found the information on it in any of these old documents and records yet, and I've gone through most of them." Dende questioned.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Bra set the child back down on the floor and placed a few steel balls in front of him so he could play with them like marbles.  
  
Jouen giggled, shaking his dark curls about his head, and rolled the balls around, running them into each other and producing a metallic, yet musical, sound that echoed through the silent compound.  
  
In the mean time, she began fine tuning her blueprints which lay sprawled across the large metal surface.  
  
She'd be erasing vehemently one moment and then sketching with equal vigor the next.  
  
Hours later, Jouen was stretched out across some furry ani-bot skin her mother had never finished, snoring soundly, with his tiny thumb still stuck inside his pouting little lips.  
  
At that moment, Bra jumped in glee, spinning around with her finalized plans clutched close to her bosom.  
  
'I'm done!' She cried to herself, still dancing in her joy.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten and the young heir, after walking for a couple hours because the prince refused to climb onto a horse and ride, claiming the day was too nice to not enjoy its beauty, a rare moment indeed for royalty to say such, finally reached the castle.  
  
Rising high into the clouds, with billowing banners covered with the royal insignia, a twisted vine, studded with thorns, wrapped tightly around the crest. It seemed incredibly familiar to Goten, as did the youth in front of him, yet once again, he couldn't seem to place where he had seen it before.  
  
The draw bridge lowered in a slow but steady fashion, graceful in its wooden movements, and made a wide walkway across the peaceful seeming moat.  
  
As they strolled across, he couldn't help but marvel at the clear waters below him. However, as he soon realized, the moat wasn't as placid as it first appeared. It was teeming with tiny piranha.  
  
"Right this way, sir" The heir commanded in a gentle tone, making a sweeping gesture with his arm, implying that Goten should continue walking and do a little less staring. At the implication, however, Goten's features softened, and he complied.  
  
'Something about that boy...' He thought, but trailed off and never completed it.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
He followed the youth down the darkened hallways, lavishly decorated, until he reached two sturdy oak doors, finely carved, and then with a light touch by the black haired boy, the doors silently opened to reveal an equally darkened room, also decorated to the extreme.  
  
And in the middle, at the cherry wood desk, sat a lavender locked man.  
  
Immediately, the boy dropped all pretenses of royalty and ran up to him, screaming out "Uncle!"  
  
A smirk slid across the seemingly ageless man, a fire lit in his shocking cerulean blue eyes, as he raised his head to greet his only nephew.  
  
"How're ya, Jouen?"  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	11. Chapter Ten

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 10  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Jumping into his acclaimed uncle's arms, and consequentially getting spun around and then plopped into a very comfortable position in the lavender haired gentleman's lap, the heir, now with an identifiable name, Jouen, greeted a man very reminiscent, in appearance and personality, by what Goten could decipher so far, to a certain lavender haired gentleman of his own time.  
  
"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't notice you there. Jouen, will you please introduce me to your guest?" The older man requested.  
  
"Sure!" the heir joyfully answered, seeming more his age now that he was safe inside the castle walls than he had in any of the hours previous. "He is umm... I'm sorry sir. I can't seem to remember your name."  
  
"Son. Son Goten." he answered in monotone, giving no more away than was necessary.  
  
"Oh. Alright. Uncle, meet Mr. Son. Mr. Son, meet Uncle."  
  
"Nice to meet you Son."  
  
"Likewise, I'm sure." Goten replied slowly, letting his words drip off his tongue like so much thick sticky golden honey, the realization of exactly who this man had to be finally dawning on him. "I'd feel rather uncomfortable calling you 'Uncle' however. Is there another name by which I may reference you?"  
  
"Yeah yeah. Sure... Just hold a second" He answered absentmindedly as he began filtering through his desk drawer.  
  
Goten leaned a bit forward, his innate childhood curiosity gaining control of his motor skills, and tried to sneak a peek at what the prince's uncle was searching for.  
  
Suddenly, the purple headed man popped up quickly, a stylus in hand and a small screen rose gracefully from the expensive desk in front of him. Slipping on a pair of glasses, he looked prepared to jot down a few notes.  
  
"What had you said your name was again?" he requested.  
  
"Son. Son Goten."  
  
"Ah, yes. Son Goten... bout 6 foot... black hair..." he mumbled, trailing off and not completing any of his thoughts, but obviously scrawling a physical description of the ebony topped man into the monitor screen. "Done. Now, what was your question?"  
  
"Your name?" Goten prompted, feeling a little violated that his information was being recorded into this man's computer.  
  
"You can call me Trunks. Trunks Briefs."  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Pan leaned in close to the mirror, examine the small red blemish that had seemed to appear overnight between her eyebrows, giving her a 'third eye.' Prodding it once or twice, she lowered her head closer to the reflecting glass, and placing both her index fingers on either side of the offending bump, she squeezed, effectively ridding herself of the obscene rise of irritated flesh.  
  
A disgusting habit she knew, but still, having that spot there really bothered her, and this cleared her of the spot, and although she knew it didn't cause it to heal any faster, it allowed her some ease.  
  
Plus, she had a hot date tonight with the world's most eligible bachelor, a true find indeed. She needed to look her best and having that large obtrusion situated there was definitely not looking her best, so she had to rid herself of it.  
  
Just the thought of her date with him, the god of men, made her swoon--  
  
'Okay okay, so maybe it's not a date.' She finally admitted to herself, bursting her little bubble of wishes and hopes and sending her on a crash course back to reality. 'But it is fun to dream...'  
  
In fact, all it was a little get together between the two of them, discussing her decision to join the 'Capsule Corp Empire' as she referred to it.  
  
With her long time friend's secretary getting married and her husband-to-be an insanely jealous little old bald man, the secretary had to quit at her groom's insistence, causing an opening which needed to be filled.  
  
Thus, confidently, Pan had just graduated school with a major in Public Relations, and although "secretarianism" is not exactly under that, she at least had experience with the press, and Trunks trusted her to take over the old hag's spot.  
  
He was tired of having her, in her late forties, maybe even her early fifties, hit on him uncontrollably. Not that she was anything to look at anyways.  
  
Pan had definitely inherited her mother's figure and she was a great relief compared to the annoying eyesore that was his former secretary.  
  
Anyway, that being beyond the point, little Panny was headed to have a business dinner with Trunks, who although he wasn't in charge of hiring new employees, chose to interview his favorite little girl over a nice big dinner.  
  
An added bonus was that he could ogle her without her noticing, or her father's watchful eye peering down his neck, making him sweat in nervousness like a teenage boy being quizzed by the all seeing eye of his prom date's father as he waits for her to hurry up and get dressed so he can get out of there and escape the alias of hell.  
  
So, here was Pan, swirling around in her bedroom in the upper story of her parent's home, with a dress held up in front of her.  
  
Brand new, it flattered her figure, yet was a little large in the front darts, something that needed to be pulled in before her meeting with 'Mr. President' as she so kindly dubbed him.  
  
Her bosom had not fully developed the way she wished it had.  
  
Slipping the dress into a plastic bag, folding it carefully before doing so, she headed down the stairs and out the front door, calling a quick "Be back later!" to her mother as she left to the tailor's. 


	12. Chapter Eleven

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 11  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"Yes, I am sure it exists" Korin answered Dende's semi-unbelieving question. "Now, as for getting the stone back, we need to send someone into the future to get it from Goten without his knowledge. I think he is already stumbling upon the lesson. He has met the boy and the Briefs child. It's only a matter of time now."  
  
"Indeed." The short guardian said, "But who to send?"  
  
"Pan. She's the slyest of the bunch and, besides Vegeta, she has been the only one to continue her training. The others have slacked off as of late, so I feel she would be best."  
  
"Are you sure she's up to it?"  
  
"Well, that's where you come in. I have not yet talked to the child and I have not seen her in so many years, since she was about 14. I know Gohan comes up to visit you often to reminisce about old times, so I figured you would have some knowledge as to her capabilities."  
  
"Gohan does talk about her a lot and it sounds like she is capable of almost anything, after all, at the tender age of 14, she helped save the world. Who knows what she can do now that she has had proper training and real experience. But does she want to?"  
  
"We'll have to see. Do you think you could summon her?"  
  
"Sure. I'll do it right away --"  
  
"No, wait. Finish your search for the Amai Safe-Hold first. We have to discover it's location before we do anything, otherwise, her journey to the future will be of no use because we won't be able to use the stone once we get it. After you find the location, then summon her." Korin explained. "I'll see you later. I have some pressing matters to attend at the tower."  
  
"Alright then. I'll get right on it. Good luck!"  
  
"I should say the same to you." Korin called over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs, barely dodging Mr. Popo and his tea and crumpets as he went. Quickly snatching the pot with his pole, and balancing a plate on the knob on top of the stick, he left off to his tower.  
  
Dende sighed in a resigned fashion, making his way through the disaster area of papers, old documents, books and albums, and sat back down in his whicker chair, ignoring the questioning glance of his small black assistant, and began filtering through it all, munching on a fresh crumpet with a luscious cherry topping.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Goten blinked in disbelief. He had his suspicions, but them being proven?  
  
Impossible. How could Trunks be here? It was so different from their home, so different indeed. However, Goten's only sign of shock was the blinks, which he quickly halted, and returned to his stoic expression.  
  
"Right then, Trunks. I was told I could receive room and board here? Is that true?"  
  
"I assume Jouen told offered you the room?"  
  
Goten just nodded in response, giving no other recognition that Trunks had asked him a question.  
  
"Not much of a talker, are you? Oh well. Jouen, you need to stop providing rooms for all the people you run across. What would your mother say?"  
  
"Momma's not here so she can't say anything!" The elegant boy smartly retorted.  
  
"But I am and so is your grandfather." At that note, Jouen smiled bigger, knowing he had his grandfather wrapped around his little finger in the same manner as his mother did.  
  
Noting the smirk, Trunks continued, "I don't think he'd be happy about random guests though and we both know that your mother wouldn't be and she has more control over father than you do, so if he or I let it slip that you invited Son to stay when you had barely met the man, what do you think would happen to you?"  
  
Paling, Jouen replied, "I don't like to think of scary things..."  
  
"Precisely. But," Trunks stated, turning his attention back to the wild manned Saiya-jin standing nonchalantly in his office, "I will let you stay here," and as an aside to Jouen, "I won't tell your mom."  
  
Goten, once again, just nodded.  
  
"Alright." Trunks trailed off from the lack of conversation he was receiving from this man. "You're room is in the West Wing in the Chancellor's Suite. Sorry we couldn't put you in a higher class room; however, we are about to be receiving ambassadors from across the galaxy, all pertaining to the discussion and Royal Council concerning the new treaties."  
  
"Its ok" the ebony eyed man said in monotone, allowing the heir's uncle a few words of response.  
  
"I'll take you to it!" Jouen chirped, jumping out of his Uncle's lap and trotted out the door, pausing shortly to provide time for his new guest to catch up. "Right this way!"  
  
Bounding back and forth, running up a ways, and then skipping right back to Goten as he walked emotionlessly down the hall. Jouen felt full of energy, and he was teeming with questions just waiting to burst forth from his mouth.  
  
Goten sensed his curiosity, yet he never made a move to satisfy the young man's thirst for knowledge, instead choosing to keep to himself until the boy questioned him of his own accord.  
  
Finally, Jouen couldn't stand it anymore. The silence had finally gotten to him and he wanted to know so badly.  
  
"Are you married?!" he asked with no sense of tact, turning around and stopped almost directly in front of the taller man.  
  
Not expecting that to be his first question, Goten paused in the middle of the hall and just stood there for a full second. Jouen looked on in expectation.  
  
Then he replied, slowly, as if mulling it over still as he spoke.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Oh." the Heir sounded out disappointedly, and looked almost dejected in his new stance, head drooping and eyes cast to the floor.  
  
Goten just shot him a questioning glance, giving Jouen the impression he should continue and offer him an explanation.  
  
"Well, you see, I was just wondering..."  
  
Goten continued to look at Jouen in the same fashion.  
  
"Well, actually, it's because my mommy, you see, right now, because Uncle Trunks didn't want the throne, she took over for Grandpa. Anyways, she had me, but I've never met my daddy, and you just seem so nice, I thought maybe you'd like to meet my mom."  
  
Jouen's face took on a guilty tinge, as if he'd done something wrong and his eyes still remained downcast, however, his tone had this innocence written in it, appealing to Goten's emotions and his childhood without a father.  
  
"Well, I haven't exactly seen my... wife," Goten said, choking on the last word, wife, due to his own tainted conscience, "In about five years. I would very much like to meet your mother anyway, if only to learn about this new world I've stumbled upon." He offered a small smile in exchange for the big one he got from the boy.  
  
"Perfect!" He squealed in glee, continuing to lead Goten down to his quarters for the time being.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Finally calming down, Bra picked Jouen up and took the tiny babe back to his lush crib, heading with her blueprints to her grandfather: the highly acclaimed Dr. Briefs.  
  
She searched high and low, from the top of the Capsule Corp building, the dark attics layered with billions upon billions of sticky cobwebs, to the deepest, dankest basements, covered with a thick layer of smelly green moss, and however, she was unable to locate the wiry old man.  
  
'Damn it!' She screeched to herself in frustration, banging her balled up fist on the wall. 'Where could that crazy old coot be?! I need his help to do this and I really don't want to ask my mother... But at this rate, it seems to be my only option.'  
  
She headed outside to the vast gardens where she knew he liked to relax, using the excuse of studying the plants, which any one of the Briefs' household knew was a facade for his laziness, yet they let him get away with it anyway. He needed some rest at his age.  
  
There, lying between a giant pink flower and a small bed of tiny yellow daisies, she found the lavender locked genius that started the entire capsule economy.  
  
"Papa!! Do you think you could help me with this?" She requested, pulling the blue sheets from her pocket and displaying them in view of her elderly helper.  
  
Placing his spectacles back over his eyes, he peered at the sheets she had lain out on the grass. Pulling a pencil out of no where, a skill Bra wished she could master, he began making small modifications, never asking why she had made the blueprints.  
  
"Uh huh... Ya... Hmm... I'm not sure... Maybe this... No... Well, if I..." He mumbled to himself like all geniuses do, seeming insane.  
  
Bra just watched in anticipation, looking over his shoulder, overseeing all the changes he was making to her plan.  
  
"All done!" He said, in a similar fashion to which Bra had acted earlier. Squealing in delight, Bra quickly hugged him, squeezing him tightly in her arms in gratification, and then, quietly, asked him if he knew where all the parts could be found.  
  
After he gave her directions for each piece, she set off on her way to build her son an empire.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Returning home from the tailor's with the dress perfectly fitted, Pan walked upstairs to begin the preparations for her "date" with the Capsule Corp Millionaire and longtime friend.  
  
She applied a light touch of blush over her foundation and then topped it off by highlighting her most redeeming feature, her eyelashes, with a dose of mascara. Her hair, now grown out, was pulled out of its low set ponytail and let hang loose around her shoulders and was allowed to have it's natural curls spill down her back.  
  
Admiring her job in the mirror, the raven haired beauty was all set to go, when suddenly, appearing in her mind was a tiny voice, reminiscent of Dende's in every sense.  
  
"Pan... Son Pan. Can you hear me?"  
  
Snorting in exasperation, she replied with her thoughts to the telepathic message.  
  
"Yes. Who is this and what are you doing in there?"  
  
"Ah, well, this is Dende-"  
  
Another snort from Pan.  
  
"And I need to speak with you immediately on a matter of great importance."  
  
"Can't you wait? I'm going out with Trunks for business tonight."  
  
"Immediately. I'll inform Trunks of your absence."  
  
Irritated now, Pan cut off the connection and, slipping out of her dress and into her gi, shot off towards her destination, Kami's Lookout.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	13. Chapter Twelve

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 12  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shortly after acquiring her summons from the young green god, Pan touched down lightly, with only a slight tap sounding her presence, on the immaculate white tile.  
  
"Dende!! Get your little green ass out here! You ruined my night I hope you know and I do NOT want to be here!" she screeched, marring the peaceful night with her fiery and easily provoked, short temper.  
  
Almost immediately, the one in question skidded outside to face her wrath. Nervously, he began, "Well, you see, your Uncle--"  
  
"If this is about that no good abomination that just up and LEFT without so much as a goodbye, not once, but TWICE, then I don't want to hear it." She interrupted, cutting Dende off in her haste and anger.  
  
"Now listen here, young lady, I am a GOD and you must show some respect!" Dende reprimanded her in a no-question tone. "Your uncle was sent, by me, to learn a lesson about his abandonment, however, it has gone awry. He took the stone with him that we require to get him back. Do you understand so far?"  
  
Pan simply nodded, meek in manner.  
  
"I want, no I need, you to go to this time and get the stone back. He has a spell placed on him that only this one artifact, placed in the Amai Safe- Hold which can only be opened with this stone, anyway, that one artifact is the only way to get him back if the spell does not think he has learned a moral. You must go and return within a day, retrieving the stone from him without his knowledge. Can you do it?" Dende explained, now calm again.  
  
Pan seemed to consider it for a second, and then replied in the affirmative, saying she would be willing to do whatever it took.  
  
"Ok. Now, tonight is your last night here until you return. If you do not return within a day, of that time, from when you left, then I do not, as of yet, know how to get you back. You will be stuck. Understood?" Pan made a gesture for him to continue, showing she knew full well what the consequences were. "I do not know if the time in the future timeline will pass faster or slower than this, so I will not know immediately if you did not make it. I will, however, inform your father and family of your mission. Make the most of tonight" He added with a wink, obviously suggesting something, causing the normally unfazed girl to blush a crimson red.  
  
And with that, Pan left to the Capsule Corp Compound to say goodbye to Bra and to have a long talk with a certain lavender haired gentleman who she was unable to get out of her dreams.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Meanwhile, Trunks had received Dende's puzzling message which provoked thoughts he would have rather remain hidden down in the dark recesses of his mind where such thoughts belonged.  
  
It was pervish, irrational, inconceivable. It was downright wrong. But he couldn't help it. He was in love.  
  
'But how to tell her? What would she think? What would his mom think? Her dad? Her mom and his dad? What about Bra? And Marron? And Goten? And Uubu? What would they think?' His mind raced. Faster than he could gather his thoughts, they flew off into a new direction, like so many caged birds just set free.  
  
It was just too difficult for him to fathom.  
  
'I should let her go. Just forget how I feel. I'm too old. She's too innocent. Her father--' at the last thought, an uncontrollable chill slid up his spine, sending shivers creeping down his arms. 'Just too difficult. But what was this mission Dende mentioned? Make the best of tonight? Last night? Too difficult.'  
  
And then, he felt it. Her. In his house. Now. What was she doing here? Why now? Not now!  
  
By now his thoughts were so jumbled, he couldn't even make complete sentences of them, causing more confusion and chaos to counteract the sanity trying, unsuccessfully, to regain control.  
  
It was hopeless. He could feel her, and with all his might and will power, he restrained from going to her, from wanting her, from needing her.  
  
All his emotions were too much for the young demi-saiya-jin, and consequentially, he blacked out right there, collapsing into a heap on his bed which was conveniently right next to him. The stress from work and from her finally caused him to break down. A single tear at his hopeless obsession dropped off his cheek to land unceremoniously on the soft coverlet below.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"Bra!? Are you home?" Pan called out, trying to gain the attention of the blue haired bombshell. Without any luck, Pan continued to wander through the maze of rooms and hallways. Even after so many years, she was still unable to navigate through it. 'Pathetic' she scolded herself.  
  
Not getting what she wanted, she decided she'd try in the nursery. It was about dinner time and she was sure little Jouen would be hungry by now. If only she could find the pesky little twerp.  
  
His room was harder to find than anything else in this monstrous house.  
  
So, with a new direction, Pan began her search, hoping against hope, this time she would not end up fruitless and would find the object of her quest.  
  
'Why do people like such big houses?' Pan thought, her last thought as she wandered, seemingly aimlessly, through the winding, twisting halls.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Working quietly in her son's room, Bra began piecing together her first item, the Saiya-jin scouter. She figured she had better start small, placing each piece of the puzzle of the ancient culture together one at a time, starting with the first information and artifacts her family had received.  
  
Even this tiny contraption was so complex in structure that Bra was required to halt her progress every so often to search for help either from her grandfather via the vidphone, or by sifting through the older documents and records her mother had kept from the Saiya-jin invasion.  
  
This was more work than she had thought, rebuilding a world.  
  
Wiping her brow, Bra had successfully finish restructuring a regeneration tank and finished off the scouter. Once that scouter was complete, she breezed through the rest of the Saiya-jin technology. The scouter, which gave her a basis on many different languages, including Saiya-jin, definitely helped in reconstruction.  
  
Rubbing her eyes from the sleep, she lifted her coffee cup to her lips, and finding it dry, made her way upstairs to the darkened kitchen to pour herself another glass so she could continue with her work.  
  
As long as she was making progress, why quit?  
  
Barely able to keep her eyes open and make it up the stairs, she stumbled, scraping up her knee and both her elbows on three different occasions.  
  
It was almost too much effort to make the trip up there, however, for the sake of her son, she would do anything, so she continued on her long trek.  
  
Finally reaching the nook, she walked through it to the coffee pot where she began preparing a new blend of mocha, her favorite flavor, which confidently had an extra dose of caffeine laced in it, thanks to her grandfather's modification lab.  
  
He always needed coffee that had more than the normal amount of caffeine, and so, now it was just natural for her to drink his blend when she desired to stay up later than about ten o'clock at night.  
  
Sitting down at the table to wait for it to finish, she rested her head on her arms that were crossed on the table below her, and there she fell asleep, as the smell of burnt coffee permeated the building, and almost immediately, a small handi-bot came and unplugged the contraption, shutting off it's miraculous preparation of the holy caffeinated drink.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Still without direction or aim, Pan trudged forward, losing hope and motivation by the second.  
  
'I think, at this rate, I would have had better luck just going home to get a good night's rest. Not like she ever told me she did my uncle.' Pan thought with a vengeance. 'I mean, she knew I liked her brother, why couldn't she have just told me?! Oh well... I wonder where I am.'  
  
Looking at the door in front of her, she cocked her head to one side. 'Looks familiar. What the hell? What harm can it do?'  
  
And with that thought, she entered, only to spot Trunks, sleeping on his bed, looking like a five year old kid once again with the way in which he was laying.  
  
Chuckling to herself, she made her way over to the bed, and sitting beside him, began to stroke his silken locks. Hurriedly, she scribbled down a note to him, confessing her love, on a small sheet of white paper, and folding it in half, left the little trinket on his night stand.  
  
She planted a light kiss upon his cheek and then she headed out his open window into the night sky, soaring home to her own comfortable bed to get a well-rested sleep for the upcoming day.  
  
She needed all her wits about her if she was going to steal that stone from Goten without his realization.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Walking into the lavishly decorated room, closely followed by his now labeled "shadow" who, after hearing Goten was willing to at least meet his mother, who had a reputation for "constantly pms-ing," was filled with glee and awe towards this seemingly brave man.  
  
Goten, of course, didn't know of Jouen's mother's reputation.  
  
Spying an overly comfortable looking king-size, silken bed in the middle of the gigantic room, he dropped all pretenses of being an unmovable man, and running over to jump on it, he collapsed in the smooth, cool sheets, and he would have fallen asleep instantly, if it wasn't for that nagging feeling someone was watching him.  
  
Rolling back over, he glanced over his shoulder, trying to see who it was that was disturbing his slumber.  
  
Sitting in the doorway, framed by the golden light shining through from the hallway, was a dark-haired curly headed boy with pale skin.  
  
'Jouen...' Goten thought darkly, but smiled despite it.  
  
"I thought you were going." Goten mumbled through his exhaustion. 'This bed is just too comfy.'  
  
"Well, umm, you see, I was." The heir stumbled. "But, well, I don't like walking through these halls alone. It gives me the creeps. I always hear something and then I get scared." He said, sounding much like a young frightened child of five instead of his fourteen years.  
  
Sighing in exasperation, Goten climbed slowly out of bed and moseyed his way to the door. Throwing his muscular arm around Jouen's shoulders, he led the boy back to the bed.  
  
At this point, Jouen was giving his guest some strange looks.  
  
Motioning for him to take a seat on the floor, Goten tossed him the comforter off the bed and two of the billion pillows which adorned it.  
  
"Sleep." he commanded as he climbed back in and slipped off to sleep immediately. 'Tomorrow is going to be a long day...' he thought, his last conscious thought before he was totally out.  
  
Jouen smiled contentedly. 'Tomorrow will be great. I might get a new daddy. Marriages aren't final anyway.' He thought with a smirk, a malevolent glint taking home in his normally innocent eyes. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 13  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Rising before any other occupant in the palace, Goten groggily made his way to the bath chambers which were connected to his quarters. He stepped clumsily over the boy and tried with all his might not to wake the young lad up.  
  
He tried in vain.  
  
Almost immediately, the seemingly harmless boy was up in an ancient fighting stance, a mix between a Saiya-jin style and the style of his own father.  
  
'Odd,' Goten thought, recognizing part of the stance as something old Roshi would have taught. 'Odd indeed.'  
  
The boy, eyes still shut in sleep, kicked out and took down the unsuspecting man before him, causing him to land with a loud thud on the tangled comforter and pillows below him.  
  
Rubbing his sore head, he glared at Jouen.  
  
Jouen just smiled innocently, a huge grin plastered across his face. Rolling his eyes, Goten got back up and continued to lumber towards the bathroom and his destination: the toilet.  
  
Yawning uncontrollably, he relieved himself and then made his way back out, spying Jouen still there in his room, having not left yet, contrary to what Goten had predicted of his actions.  
  
He had thought the boy was only afraid to travel through the building at night. How wrong he was.  
  
Still in his outfit from the day before, he was about to take his leave of the room in an effort to find some breakfast before his stomach started to growl above its almost inaudible tones it had already taken on.  
  
'Stupid stomach' he said to himself, glaring at his offending midsection.  
  
Almost out, he was stopped by a call from Jouen, who, amazingly, had changed clothing without Goten's notice.  
  
Jouen made a gesture to a silken tunic and trousers laid out across the bed, which miraculously, was already made.  
  
Blinking in awe, he walked back over, and scooping the items up into his arms, quickly changed in the bathroom.  
  
Coming out, after scrubbing his face due to the insistence of the young heir, he glowed. Even he marveled at his perfection and how well he looked in these clothes.  
  
Finally, after many failed attempts, he was able to leave and head out into the hall towards the dining room, and with the assistance of Jouen, almost immediately found the table laden with delicious aromas and piles upon piles of food, enough to feed many Saiya-jins for many different meals.  
  
Goten thought he was in heaven.  
  
That is, until he heard the unearthly screeching belonging to a certain blue haired female as she crashed to the ground in a dead faint.  
  
The olive skinned man paled quite a few shades himself. This was not good.  
  
Jouen just blinked in confusion, his spoon full of cereal half way too his mouth, clueless as to the happenings in his own home.  
  
Goten slowly moved over to the faintly breathing aqua-tressed angel, and pushing aside her cerulean locks, gasped at the beauty she possessed. It seemed as if she was even more perfect than she was when he last saw her, only but two nights ago.  
  
Except, there was a barely perceptible difference.  
  
Tiny crow's feet began to leave their imprints at the corners of her eyes, obviously from stress and over work, not from old age as one would think.  
  
'Easily fixed with her mother's technology' he thought to himself, tracing his calloused finger tips over the still baby-smooth skin.  
  
Jouen, finally out of his trance, also made his way to the woman sprawled across the floor, and even despite that, seemed elegant, and whispered softly, "Wake up, momma. I want you to meet someone." Turning his attention to Goten he asked, "What'd you do to her?"  
  
Ignoring his question, Goten did a double take.  
  
"Did you just call her Momma?" he asked in horror.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
The loud clicking sounds echoed through the large lab as the young genius worked late into the afternoon, having already put Jouen down for his afternoon nap.  
  
She had the simulation program begun, setting up the Saiya-jin society as her father had described it to her so many times when she was a child in the stories he told of his glory days so she would go to bed.  
  
Everything was almost finished, and after the simulation was set up, she could complete her empire. All she had left to do was genetically, and physically, alter all the people and animals of this planet to fit her father's descriptions.  
  
The landscape also needed to be redesigned. Chikyuu would become the great Saiya-jin Empire before its destruction, and no one would ever know the difference.  
  
She'd erase their memories and write new ones for them. She'd be the only one to remember the green world of Chikyuu and Goten.  
  
She'd successfully eradicate her problem.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 14  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Continuing to stare at Jouen with a horror filled expression, Goten slowly rose, leaving the girl lying where she had fallen, not making any effort to help her up.  
  
He backed at a snail's pace away from the two, it suddenly dawning on him that he had a son, someone who he was supposed to care for and raise, yet he had never been aware of it.  
  
Turning on his heel, he took off down the hall, paying no heed to the young boy's questioning cries that followed him as he disappeared around the corner.  
  
'I have a son. And I never knew. A son.' He repeated over and over in his mind, the litany filling all his conscious thoughts, not allowing him to think of anything else as he hurriedly dashed away from the scene.  
  
Without his realization, he had returned to the office he had been in just the afternoon before, and, in his haste, entered it immediately, shutting the door quickly behind him, his breath ragged with shock.  
  
He leaned exhaustedly against the door, using it as his only support as he rested, not trusting his own legs to hold him up, unknowing of the company he had accidentally encountered.  
  
Hearing a small cough, he slowly raised his ebony topped head and peered ahead of him, finally noticing the man sitting nonchalantly, yet expectantly, in the big chair before him, tapping his pencil rhythmically against the hard wood desktop.  
  
Making a polite sweeping gesture with his arms, he motioned for Goten to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk. Goten obediently complied.  
  
"Have a good night's rest?" Trunks questioned, still smiling somewhat.  
  
"Yes. However, I have a question for you. Do you happen to have a sister?"  
  
Taken aback by the impertinence of his question, Trunks replied. "I do. She's Queen Bra, my younger sister."  
  
"Ah. If she's your younger sister, then why didn't you ascend the throne, after all, you are elder, and you are the only male heir, correct?"  
  
"Correct, yet I chose not to take it. I didn't want it, so I let her, and her son, take it."  
  
"She has a son?" He asked as if he didn't know.  
  
"Ya, but we don't know who the father is. She would never tell us, so I guess it doesn't really matter, right? She'll find someone better than the no account loser who left her pregnant and alone eventually." He said, his tone almost imperceptibly laced with venom as soon as he mentioned that they knew not who the father was.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Her kid is Jouen... Real nice little boy. He's almost like my own son." Trunks said, trailing off.  
  
"I figured as much." was Goten's only response.  
  
"By the way, what had you so shaken up earlier when you first entered?" Trunks questioned with concern.  
  
"Oh, that... It was nothing." He replied with an air of dismissal, more or less saying he had no wish to talk about it with the man before him.  
  
At that, he rose from his seat and exited the office, letting Trunks go back to the plans for the Royal Council meeting which would be held in only a few days, and shut the door softly behind him.  
  
He didn't know why he hadn't realized it earlier when Jouen had called Trunks "Uncle". It just never clicked until he had called Bra his mother. He knew the kid was his, and no one else's, and despite the butterflies of nervousness fluttering about deep inside his gut, he was oddly calmed by the fact.  
  
He slowly made his way down the hall back to the dining room to confront the boy and the woman.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-  
  
Popping a few painkillers before heading out the door towards the lookout, a little later than she had first planned thanks to the lovely little once- a-month visit from the abhorrence of all womanhood, she took off to the sky, flying into the rising sun.  
  
Stepping down lightly on the immaculate white tile floor, she called out, "Dende! Get out here!"  
  
"I'm already here," he answered, startling her from behind.  
  
"Eek! Don't do that! You know how it creeps me out. Anyway, I'm here. Let's get the show on the road!"  
  
"Alright. If you'll just follow me," he said, and retook to the sky, taking her over placid ocean waves and then down into the lush undergrowth of the rainforests. Then led her through the thick plants to a towering cliff face, which he opened magically by tracing a few of the ancient designs which adorned it.  
  
Pan just followed in wonderment, not asking any questions, and looking around herself, she didn't realize her green guide had disappeared, and as she continued walking, she noticed an abrupt change in scenery.  
  
From the dark confines of the cave, it immediately went to the bright early morning of a busy city block, filled with marketers selling all kinds of goodies.  
  
Ignoring their calls, she walked silently through the streets, until she spotted a girl in a grey cape who caught her eye, seeming so out of place in this open atmosphere.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," The young woman in the cape startled Pan out of her shock as she was confronted, "May I have a word with you?"  
  
Her ebony locks followed her head as she nodded in the affirmative and silently followed the girl, shocked that she trusted her without even seeing her face.  
  
"This way," she instructed as she slid down a back alley, causing Pan to take a bit more caution of the girl. She didn't even know what she wanted with her.  
  
Abruptly, they came to a stop and the hooded woman slid sideways through a door, holding it open only long enough for Pan to slide through afterwards before it slammed shut with a resounding thud.  
  
The gray hood was slowly removed, revealing a young woman with blonde hair and shockingly blue orbs nestled neatly in her face.  
  
"Marron?!" Pan gasped.  
  
"In the flesh." She smiled back at her old friend.  
  
"But, what are you doing here?"  
  
"You know you are in the future, yes?" Marron asked, and before waiting for any reply beyond a quick nod, she continued. "Well, this is Bra's creation for her son, Jouen. After the second time Goten left, she decided he needed a good future and that a crown would do for him. So, she created a program which, in the end, altered Chikyuu to be exactly like Vegeta-sei before its destruction. Everyone's previous memories were erased and replaced. No one remembers anything about Chikyuu or Goten. It's as if neither of them ever existed. And, my guess is, you need this?"  
  
At that moment, she produced a small stone from the sleeve of her long cloak.  
  
Pan just held out her hand to take the stone back, and as Marron set it lightly in her palm, Pan realized something.  
  
"If everyone's memory was erased, how do you remember and how do you know all this?"  
  
I'm an Android. She forgot that. My memory is saved on my hard drive and she forgot to clear that in her haste to complete everything.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Now, to get you back so that maybe, in your time, Goten will not end up being stuck here for forever, and can return before Bra implements her world. All we need to do is get you to the portal in the western lands before dawn tomorrow."  
  
Pan was still silent with awe and then just followed Marron as she handed her a cloak of her own and then headed out the door and across the wide plains surrounding the city.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =- 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 15  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"I thought I had gotten rid of you. You weren't in my planet scan when I completed it. I'm fine without you. I don't need you anymore, not in my life, Goten."  
  
"He's my son, too," Goten replied with the same stoic expression. "I have just as much of a right to be here as you do. And technically, my sweet, because of your genius" he continued in his mocking tone as he pulled her flushed form to him, "I am your king."  
  
"You can't prove it," she smirked back, but made no move to push herself away, "Vegeta-sei never had the technology and I decided to preserve that."  
  
"You're lying to me, Princess. The Tsufuru-jin had given the Saiya-jin plenty of technology advanced well beyond Chikyuu's, and so I do believe that a simple blood test would have been invented."  
  
He watched as the triumph faded from her glistening eyes and her delicate form slumped in his arms slightly, yet another glint still shone, one of hidden deceit.  
  
"And don't you get any ideas. You will crown me." He said coldly, and pulled her to him in a bruising kiss, then pushed her away and went to inform Jouen of the news.  
  
He had a father now. Jouen was ecstatic. Bra wasn't.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
"Yes, Trunks," Goten said, "Your sister and I are engaged. The ceremony will commence as soon as possible."  
  
Trunks just stared in shock. This man had walked in last night, said not but two words, and the next morning came back to inform him that he would become King shortly.  
  
He felt that he should really check in with his sister about the situation, and so, as soon as the silent gentleman had left his office, he requested his sister's presence.  
  
"Oh, Trunks," she exclaimed as she ran to his side, tears pouring down her face. She sat on the ground, her skirts elegantly spread about her, and leaned on the arm of his chair, explaining everything to him, from the very start.  
  
She told him about how the young man had come to her late one night, in another world, and how much she had loved him. She told him about her past and her program and her dream and her sorrow, and wept herself to sleep after the whole story had spilled from her lips.  
  
Trunks just stroked her long blue locks and tried, despite his feeling of betrayal, to comfort her. His entire youth, erased. And the stranger, his best friend?  
  
It was a lot to swallow.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
She handed Dende the stone and then took off with him and Korin to the far reaches of the Earth, were Dende had thankfully located the Amai Safe-Hold and the key which it held inside.  
  
This key would open yet another door in the dark recesses of the Safe-Hold and in there rested a map, which portrayed everyone's fate, from the start to the finish, if one could read it correctly. That was all they could rely on now. They had to pluck Goten's line from the future and replace it back into the present, before everything changed.  
  
It was a race of time, now, between the rewrite of time and Bra's own intelligence. If she initiated her program, everything would be lost. The Amai Safe-Hold would unknowingly be erased by her, locking Goten forever in the future time, where, although Bra would encounter him again, he would still not be anything resembling the man he once was.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=--  
  
Her simulation complete, all that was left to do was push a single button, which would erase the world as she knew it, and in it's place, a new planet would arise.  
  
Her slender finger pressed down, sealing the fate of the world.  
  
A castle appeared, and villages littered the red country side, teeming with a new life of lower class Saiya-jins whose sole job was to provide the sustenance and basic needs of those above them, just as their fathers and grandfathers had before them. Their rich cream colored crops and ivory flowers dotted in checkered patterns, adding contrast with the deep, fertile soil.  
  
Second class lived in cities, with lesser creatures captured from foreign regions of the universe tending to their every need, as the roamed, increasing their skills to improve their stature.  
  
First class citizens lived on manors, encompassing the aforementioned farms and villages and even cities, or they populated the court of the castle, each vying for a higher position, for a chance to head a crusade, for favor of the Royals, and, if they were lucky, for a chance to meet the infamous Bra Briefs, First Queen in all the great history of Vegeta-sei.  
  
And so rose the Saiya-jin Empire, Vegeta-sei, returning to a glory formerly unknown to its people.  
  
If Vegeta knew, he would be proud of his darling daughter.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--=-- 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--  
  
Shadow's Dance  
  
By NinJinChan  
  
Rated R  
  
Chapter 16  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--  
  
The Royal Council had commenced and Trunks watched in wonder as his sister elegantly delegated the endless number of representatives from across the galaxy, each pursuing their own interests.  
  
Some actually belonged to Vegeta-sei and were just making pleas upon their behalf, hoping that the young Queen would take pity upon their plights and help their peoples.  
  
Others were negotiating trade agreements and other matters of state, even vying for the Royal Hand, hoping that through marriage they could gain access to the vast wealth of the Vegeta-sei treasury, and to their infinite military and political force.  
  
If one could only gain her hand, they could manipulate and eventually control the universe. Vegeta-sei had that kind of power in its grasp, if only they'd take advantage of it.  
  
He frowned slightly at each sorry attempt that the ambassadors and senators made for their higher authorities, and he frowned deeper at the few ruling heads that personally came to request.  
  
Finally, sick of the constant quest for her hand, Trunks leaned over slightly, whispering softly in his little sister's ear a small piece of advice: "Go ahead and make your engagement announcement. We both know you can't get out of it -Goten has you trapped- but at least it will get these slobbering fools to stop kissing your feet so we can get on to more important matters: Dinner".  
  
She nodded imperceptibly, and taking Goten's hand, who had been seated beside her through the entire ordeal, raised him from his padded velvet chair, making him stand beside her in front of the millions of mindless faces.  
  
"I have an announcement to make that regards and affects most of you here tonight. In a matter of both personal and state affairs, I am betrothed to this young man beside me, Son Goten of Southern Vegeta-sei. He has made his request and not been found lacking. The wedding will commence tomorrow at dawn. And the meeting, for today, is adjourned. Please make yourselves comfortable in your suites. Dinner will be served shortly. Don't be late."  
  
Turning sharply on her heel, Bra drug Goten out of the room, Trunks and Jouen following closely behind.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--  
  
"I really hope you're happy," she barked at him as soon as they were in their own room. Goten had ordered that he be moved in with her immediately, after all, it would look suspicious if the King and Queen did not share their chambers.  
  
"Let's just get this straight, darling," he began in retort, his tone laced with icy venom, "I do not love you, you do not need me. I, however, need the position that goes with you, and you, you can't escape the fate you unintentionally trapped yourself in. You should have killed off the brat when you had the chance. Yet, you chose to keep him, and now I have the right to be king. I'm sorry if that breaks your poor little heart."  
  
Bra just glared at him then turned away, giving her back to him as her only reply.  
  
Goten wasn't satisfied, however, and grabbed her roughly around the waist, twisting her painfully around to face him. "One more thing, my sweet, I will get all the privileges associated with a marriage to you." His eyes roved up and down her brave figure, trembling slightly behind her façade. He fondled her breasts roughly before shoving her away and giving her one last glance. "All of them."  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--  
  
Pan and Dende and Korin had unlocked the Amai Safe-Hold and were now deep in its damp passageways, the twisting halls and sudden give-way of stone impeding their progress. Dende assured Pan that they were almost there, that it wasn't that much further to go, and that was when the first tremor hit.  
  
Another quickly preceded it, more shocking quake through the ground, tearing the three travelers from their steady footing, and tossing them onto the rocky floor.  
  
Pan looked up in horror as the rocks caved in around her, Dende and Korin, locking them inside and suffocating them in the warm clutches of Mother Earth.  
  
Bra had won in their race, and the other three were accidentally erased from time, trapped inside of a cave that didn't exist in the new world.  
  
They had failed, and failed miserably.  
  
--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=- -=--=--  
  
The soft rays of dawn rose over the deep red soil, stretching her thin fingers across the land, waking every creature that she could touch, causing them to stretch their own sleep worn bodies to the sky in homage.  
  
Bra had been up for hours, pacing back and forth in the preparation room. It was almost time for her father to come and walk her down the aisle, signing her off to an eternity with the man she hated the most.  
  
What ticked her off the most was that she had no power to get rid of him, nor did she know how he'd gotten here in the first place.  
  
A resounding knock echoed in the still room. Bra made her way to the door, giving her father a fake smile as she nodded at him that she was indeed ready to go.  
  
Her father's expression conveyed neither joy nor disappointment as he led her down the long hall to the lawn on which she was to be wed. It was so very like Vegeta to be silent down to the last minute. He probably didn't care either way.  
  
The pair stepped onto the soft loamy grass as the music began, the Queen and her father making their way to the altar. He handed her off silently to the stony faced man before him, and then stepped to the side as the ceremony commenced.  
  
A loud rumble of thunder broke overhead, warning of a bad omen, as the vows were stated. Rain poured down upon the guests, but the wedding party stayed in place, lasting through the complete process.  
  
Bra was horrified, paralyzed in place, repeating the phrases she was supposed to when she was supposed to. It was like a terrible nightmare.  
  
Goten pulled her into a soft kiss when the time came and then led her off to their room to consummate their marriage like husband and wife were supposed to.  
  
Bra, dripping wet from the pouring, harsh rain, followed without a word. 


End file.
